Jannik Sinner finds his form and wins the Cincinnati Open title

World champion Jannik Sinner defeated Frances Tiafoe 7-6(4) 6-2 in the final of the Cincinnati Open on Monday, showing that despite his recent health problems, he is still the man to beat at the upcoming US Open.

The 23-year-old, who has struggled with a hip problem in recent months and missed the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis, made many mistakes early in the match and limped after a number of points in the tense first set.

But he found his game in the tiebreak, capturing the American’s powerful serve on set point and Tiafoe’s next shot flying over the sideline to give the Italian the opening goal.

Tiafoe, who has struggled to find momentum and win this season, was unable to convert his three break points in the first set and started the second set 2-0 down, which he was never able to recover.

Sinner hit a forehand winner down the line for a 4-1 lead in the second half and completed the victory with an unreturnable serve on match point.

Sinner’s victory at the Masters 1000 event follows his breakthrough as Grand Slam champion at the Australian Open in January. It is his fifth title of the year and his first at the tournament in Ohio.

The important thing is that Sinner has now shown that he can win even when he is not 100% fit. He may well use this quality in Flushing Meadows, where reigning champion Novak Djokovic and world number three Carlos Alcaraz are the other big favorites.

Tiafoe climbs to world No. 20 and will carry that confidence into the upcoming US Open, where he was a semi-finalist in 2022, after his gutsy three-set win over Denmark’s Holger Rune in Sunday’s semi-final.